FSU Basketball At A Glance: The Ferris State women’s basketball team hosts Drury (Mo.) in its 2006-07 home opener Saturday, Nov. 25, starting at 6 p.m. (EST) inside Jim Wink Arena at Big Rapids, Mich.

Media Coverage: There will be no Ferris radio or internet broadcast coverage available for Saturday’s contest. “Live Stats” will be available on the internet by clicking on the Live Stats icon at www.ferris.edu/sports. Drury’s internet broadcast can be heard at www.radiospringfield.com with Rob Evans calling the play-by-play action.

About Ferris State: Ferris State University is a NCAA Division II school located in Big Rapids, Mich., with an enrollment of 12,578. The Bulldogs are a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). Big Rapids is located in West Michigan approximately 60 miles north of Grand Rapids or 40 miles west of Mount Pleasant, Mich.

The Ferris State Bulldogs, including junior forward Rachel Folcik, will host Drury in their home opener Saturday

Ticket Info: Tickets for the event will be available at the door. For more information or directions, please contact the FSU Athletics Ticket Office at (231) 591-2888. Tickets are $7 (general admission) or $10 (reserved) for adults along with $5 for students (K-12) or faculty/staff. FSU students are admitted free of charge with identification. A family pass with two adult and two youth tickets is $15.

FSU Falls At Lewis: Ferris fought back from a 20-point deficit with 11 minutes to play before suffering a narrow three-point setback to Lewis (Ill.) 72-69 in non-league action Tuesday (Nov. 21) at Romeoville, Ill. The Flyers built a 45-35 halftime edge and led 64-44 with 10:52 remaining in the contest before the Bulldogs rallied to cut the lead down to only two points with 14 seconds to go. After a made Lewis free throw pushed the lead to three points with 10 seconds remaining, Ferris called timeout before senior guard Erin Miller's (Niles) game-tying three-pointer misfired in the closing second. Miller scored a game-high tying 21 points. Junior forward/center Rachel Folcik (Powers/Carney-Nadeau) chipped in 19 points while junior guard/forward Sam Johns (Allendale) recorded 11 points for Ferris State. In addition, Johns added a game-high 14 rebounds while senior forward Audrey Thwing (Davison) registered 10 boards for the Bulldogs.

Ferris Claims Clarion Classic: FSU captured the Clarion (Pa.) Classic Championship with a 73-57 triumph over the host school last Saturday (Nov. 18) at Clarion, Pa. The Bulldogs improved to 2-0 on the year with the victory over Clarion in Saturday's title contest. FSU previously defeated West Virginia State 85-70 in Friday’s (Nov. 17) season opener to advance to the final. Erin Miller netted a game-high 24 points and added six steals against Clarion while senior guard Kristin Reinhart (East Lansing) totaled 20 points along with five assists. Reinhart led Ferris with a game-high 22 points versus West Virginia State. Miller added 19 points, Rachel Folcik netted 16 points and Sam Johns scored 10 points as four Bulldog players reached double-figure scoring against the Yellow Jackets.

Reinhart Chosen As MVP: FSU’s Kristin Reinhart was chosen as the Most Valuable Player in the Clarion Classic for her play last weekend. Erin Miller and Rachel Folcik were also among the six players named to the all-tournament team. Reinhart averaged 21 points, five assists and four rebounds in the Bulldogs’ two victories at the season-opening event.

Last Season: Ferris State wrapped up its 2005-06 women's basketball season with an 18-10 overall record and made its seventh consecutive GLIAC Tournament appearance last campaign. FSU, which posted a third-place tying 12-6 mark in GLIAC North Division play a year ago, also registered its 10th consecutive season with 10 or more victories in 2005-06.

Two Years Ago: Ferris finished the 2004-05 season with an 11-17 overall record. FSU placed fourth in the GLIAC North Division with a 9-9 conference ledger and advanced to the league's postseason tournament for the sixth consecutive year. The Bulldogs also recorded their ninth-straight season with 10 or more victories.

Tracey Bloodworth-Fisk: Ninth-year FSU head coach Tracey Bloodworth-Fisk presently ranks as Ferris’ all-time winningest coach with a current 137-89 (.606) career record at Ferris State. A 1996 graduate of Western Michigan, she guided FSU to a 22-7 mark and the school's first NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Tourney appearance during the 1999-00 campaign. She spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Lake Michigan College (1994-97) and one season at Indianapolis (1997-98).

The Bulldog Tradition: The Ferris State women’s basketball program, which is midst its 33rd season of varsity competition, has compiled a 390-414 (.485) all-time mark. The Bulldogs won their only GLIAC crown, advanced to their first NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Tournament and recorded the nation’s highest grade point average in 1999-2000. FSU, which also claimed GLIAC Tournament runner-up honors in 1999-00, has posted 10 or more victories 10 consecutive seasons to date.

Looking Back At 2003-04: The Bulldogs compiled a 21-10 overall record in 2003-04 and reached the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Tournament for only the second time in school history. FSU placed second (14-4) in the GLIAC North Division and advanced to the GLIAC Tournament Championship game during the 2003-04 campaign. The Bulldogs also recorded the program’s second-ever 20-win campaign three seasons ago.

The Bulldog Roster: Ferris’ 2006-07 roster includes three seniors, three juniors, five sophomores and two freshmen. Six of the 13 players are guards while the remaining seven are frontcourt players. All 12 players on the roster hail from Michigan.

Jim Wink Arena: Ferris has recorded a 53-22 (.707) overall record to date in games at Jim Wink Arena, including a 43-19 (.694) mark in league play. The 2,400-seat facility replaced the Old Jim Wink Arena, which was converted into the current Student Recreation Center after the 1997-98 campaign. FSU won its first 14 games in the facility.

On The Road: Ferris State is 174-129 (.574) overall since 1995-96 and sports a 101-87 (.537) record in road/neutral site contests during that span. The Bulldogs are 59-47 (.557) overall in road games under head coach Tracey Bloodworth-Fisk, including a 42-30 (.583) record in GLIAC play.

Live Internet Stats: “Live Stats” of all 2006-07 Ferris State home games will be provided in progress via the internet. Visit the site at www.ferris.edu/sports and click the “Live Stats” icon to access.

On The Internet: Ferris State University Athletics’ official web site can be found at www.ferris.edu/sports. The site features information on all of FSU’s varsity athletics programs including rosters, statistics, yearbooks and more.

Listen To The Bulldogs: FSU women’s basketball (GLIAC games only) will be carried live this season through a partnership with Bulldog Radio, a registered student organization on the Ferris campus. The station can be heard locally on television Channel 21 both via on-campus cable and Charter Communications in Mecosta County. A live 24-hour webcast of the signal is also available at www.bulldogradio.org. Fans wishing to access the live internet broadcast of the GLIAC contests will also be able to visit the Bulldog Athletics Webcast icon at www.ferris.edu/sports.

The Coaching Staff: Head coach Tracey Bloodworth-Fisk returns her top assistant coach for the fifth year in Justin Rees. Rees, who previously served for three seasons (1999-02) as an assistant coach at NCAA-II Teikyo Post (Conn.), played collegiate basketball at Barry (Fla.) from 1993-97. Tracey’s father, Rick Bloodworth, will be a volunteer assistant coach this campaign after previously serving as the head coach at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor, Mich.

GLIAC Preseason Poll: Ferris State was picked to finish second in the 2006-07 GLIAC Women's Basketball Coaches Preseason North Division Poll released by the league office last Wednesday (Nov. 8). The Bulldogs totaled 29 points in the balloting, which was conducted by the conference's head coaches. A year ago, Ferris State took fourth place in the conference's preseason coaches poll with 23 points. Defending NCAA Division II National Champion Grand Valley State was selected as the North Division favorite as the Lakers recorded 36 points along with six first-place votes. Ashland claimed the top spot in the South Division with 24 points and four first-place votes. The league's 13 head coaches voted for the division in which they play, but were not allowed to vote for their own team.

A Coaching Family: FSU’s Tracey Bloodworth-Fisk is far from the only coach in her family. She previously spent three seasons as an assistant coach under her father, Rick Bloodworth, at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor, Mich. Her father is serving as a volunteer assistant coach at Ferris this season after a long stint as LMC’s head coach. In addition, her younger sister, Andrea Bloodworth, currently is embarking on her second year as an assistant women’s coach at NCAA-I Valparaiso (Ind.) after spending three years as the top assistant at GLIAC-member Gannon.

League Opener: Ferris State’s 2006-07 GLIAC opener is set for Thursday, Nov. 30, versus Northwood beginning at 6 p.m. (EST) in NU’s Bennett Sports Center at Midland, Mich.

GLIAC Player Of The Week: Kristin Reinhart was honored as this season's first recipient of the GLIAC North Division Player of the Week Award Monday (Nov. 20). Reinhart averaged 21 points, five assists and four rebounds in the Bulldogs' two victories at the season-opening Clarion Classic. The 5-5 Reinhart totaled a team-high 22 points along with five rebounds and five assists in FSU's win over West Virginia State before adding 20 points, five assists and three boards against Clarion. This week's selection represents the third time Reinhart has picked up the honor in her career as she was also chosen once during each of the last two campaigns.

Number One On The List: Ferris head coach Tracey Bloodworth-Fisk became the school’s all-time victory leader with two wins in the Aquinas College Classic (Nov. 18-19) to open the 2005-06 season in Grand Rapids, Mich. Bloodworth-Fisk, who also ranks as FSU’s all-time winningest coach, surpassed Pat Dolan’s (1977-89) previous school-record total of 118 wins at FSU. Both of FSU’s two all-time NCAA Division II National Tournament appearances have came under Bloodworth-Fisk. She was honored as the GLIAC’s 2003-04 Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year after guiding the Bulldogs to the program’s second-ever 20-win campaign.

Academic Success: The Bulldogs have ranked among the nation’s top academic programs seven consecutive seasons, according to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll list. Ferris compiled a 3.350 grade point average in 2005-06 to place 20th overall in Division II. FSU had the nation’s highest gpa in 1999-00 and placed second in 2002-03.

Opening Day Win: Ferris State officially opened its 33rd season against West Virginia State in the Clarion (Pa.) Classic. The Bulldogs, who have now won six of their last nine season openers, have an all-time mark of 15-18 in opening day games following last Friday’s triumph. The Bulldogs have won nine of their past 12 openers to date, including a 6-3 mark (.667) under head coach Tracey Bloodworth-Fisk.

Bulldog Bites: Ferris returns four starters and 11 letterwinners from last season ............ Fourteen of the school’s 27 regular-season games are away from home this year ........ Kristin Reinhart currently has 980 career points and is only 20 shy of becoming the 13th player in school history to notch 1,000 career points ......... FSU needs 10 wins to record the program’s 400th all-time victory ...... Sam Johns’ 14 rebounds at Lewis represented a personal career-high.

The Team Captains: FSU seniors Erin Miller and Kristin Reinhart along with Rachel Folcik have been named the Bulldogs’ team captains for the 2006-07 campaign. Miller picked up first team All-GLIAC and Daktronics All-Great Lakes Region Second Team accolades last campaign. Reinhart was named to the All-GLIAC North Division Second Team for the second consecutive season. Folcik started 26 contests.

Ferris State vs. Lewis (Ill.) Notebook:

Scouting Drury (Mo.): The Panthers held a 1-0 overall mark this campaign heading into Friday’s (Nov. 24) contest at defending NCAA-II National Champion Grand Valley State following a 77-55 season-opening home triumph over Truman State (Mo.) last Saturday (Nov. 18) in Springfield, Mo. DU, which is guided by seventh-year head coach Nyla Milleson, has advanced to the NCAA-II Tournament each of the last four years, including a runner-up finish in 2003-04. Drury claimed the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) West Division crown last campaign with a 19-0 league record. In addition, the Panthers recorded a 30-3 overall mark while hosting and earning runner-up kudos in the NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Tournament. Junior guard Molly Carter is the team’s top returning statistical leader from last year after averaging 10.8 points per game. DU was ranked 10th in the 2006-07 USA Today/ESPN Division II Top 25 Preseason Coaches Poll.

Series Information: The Bulldogs and Drury will meet for only the second time ever on Saturday. FSU recorded a 77-62 triumph over Drury in the 2000-01 campaign (12/19/00) at the Disney Classic hosted by Northwest Missouri State in Orlando, Fla. Former Bulldog standout Tianna Kirkland recorded 18 points and 15 rebounds in the contest.